Federal Job Cuts Are Reshaping Lives and Local Economies

Naomi Anderson thought she had found a long-term home in her federal role supporting farmers in developing countries—until she was laid off while on maternity leave. Her story is one of thousands now surfacing as Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), created under the Trump administration, slashes tens of thousands of federal jobs in a sweeping cost-cutting campaign.

The impact is cascading through communities like Arlington, Virginia, and beyond. From engineers at NIOSH to union stewards, restaurant owners, and real estate agents, the ripple effects are clear: yard sales, abandoned leases, stalled housing deals, and plummeting foot traffic in restaurants and stores once reliant on stable government income.

The numbers are staggering—over 280,000 job cuts, nearly 8x the total from the previous year. Experts are warning of a regional recession, with Virginia and Maryland likely leading the downturn due to their heavy dependence on government employment and contracts. Local leaders are scrambling to respond, but many workers, like Anderson, are left wondering where to turn—especially as entire sectors like international development are gutted.

Liz Shuler of the AFL-CIO is rallying unions to push back, but as one business owner put it: “We’re not part of a national chain with deep pockets. If this lasts, we’re gone.”

Read the full article for more on the unfolding crisis:

Elon Musk’s job cuts and the unraveling of federal life in DC suburbs – The Guardian